Baltimore Council Passes Local Hiring Bill

BALTIMORE (AP) - The Baltimore City Council has passed a bill that would require local hiring for contractors, despite concerns about its constitutionality.

The council approved the bill Monday that would require companies with contracts of $300,000 and entities that receive $5 million in assistance for city-subsidized projects to make sure 51 percent of jobs are filled by city residents.

Bill sponsor City Council President Jack Young says the law is needed to reduce unemployment in the city.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's spokesman says the mayor will not sign it into law, but she will allow it to take effect. Spokesman Ryan O'Doherty says the mayor instructed the legal department to prepare for possible litigation related to the ordinance as city agencies comply with the new law.